FIA director general is investigating accusations of workers being offloaded at airports.

FIA – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – During a meeting convened by Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Riffat Mukhtar, Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), said on Thursday that the agency is investigating claims of workers being offloaded at airports.
Over the last few months, multiple incidences have been reported of passengers being deplaned from aircraft at various airports on suspicion, despite having legitimate travel credentials. The actions follow Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s instruction to crack down on migrant smuggling following last year’s Greece boat catastrophe, which killed numerous Pakistanis.

The development took place during a high-level meeting today presided over by the minister, in which he was briefed on such incidents. DG FIA Mukhtar, officials Ministry of the Overseas Pakistanis, and a delegation from the Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association were also in attendance.

DG FIA Mukhtar informed the meeting participants that incidents of workers being offloaded had been reported at Lahore and Karachi airports, and that investigations were underway.

“If any FIA officials are found involved, strict action will be taken against them,” the statement quoted him as saying.

While addressing the participants, Minister Hussain pointed out that workers were offloaded at different airports despite having work visas and protection certificates.

“Pakistanis going abroad for employment are highly respected by us, and no one will be allowed to unlawfully stop workers at airports,” the minister said, per the statement.

Overseas Pakistanis, he said, send foreign remittances to Pakistan, which drives the national economy.

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The minister directed the DG FIA to immediately resolve the issue and instructed that no work visa holders be offloaded at airports in the future.

According to the statement, the FIA has imposed no additional limitations for persons traveling overseas on work visas, nor has it implemented any new requirements for getting an affidavit from a government officer.
A new digital method will be deployed soon, allowing workers to complete their immigration forms online prior to departure.
According to Federal Minister Hussain, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and FIA authorities are working on standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent similar instances in the future.
The Foreign Office revealed that four Pakistani individuals died in migrant shipwrecks off the coast of Greece in December of last year.

A high-level committee was formed to examine the tragedy, overseen by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In January of this year, the former FIA DG, Ahmed Ishaque Jehangir, was removed from his position and Mukhtar appointed to replace him in early April.